Early signs of dyslexia can be spotted before children learn to read, experts warn

Specialists emphasise the importance of recognising warning signs of dyslexia before formal reading begins, advocating for deliberate, early support to prevent long-term difficulties in children, particularly in homeschool settings.

Parents of late readers are often told to be patient, but specialists say that patience should not turn into passivity. In an episode of The Homeschool Sanity Show, host Faye Bankler Casell, a certified academic language therapist and dyslexia specialist, argues that reading difficulties can often be spotted before a child is actually reading. She says the central question for families is not simply whether a child is “ready”, but whether warning signs suggest a need for support now rather than later.

Casell points to speech and language delays, persistent trouble with sound-letter connections, and children who seem to read well only because they have memorised familiar books or guessed from context. She says one practical test is whether a child is truly decoding words or merely recalling them. Spelling can be especially revealing, she adds, because children with dyslexia often struggle there long before their reading looks obviously behind. Her advice is that delaying formal lessons may work for some children, but not for those already showing signs of a specific reading problem.

That view is consistent with the structured literacy approach promoted by several reading specialists and intervention providers. Read Academy says the brain is most able to form new reading pathways before about age eight, making the early years the most efficient time for intervention. Literacy Lighthouse, Home Run Education, iReading Tutor and Dyslexia Rescue all describe Orton-Gillingham-style instruction as explicit, sequential and multisensory, with a focus on breaking language into manageable parts and practising them repeatedly until they stick. Their programmes, whether in person or online, are designed to help children build decoding, fluency and confidence in small, measurable steps.

Casell also highlights a broader point for homeschool families: support at home does not have to mean a full outside programme, but it should be deliberate, consistent and grounded in how children with dyslexia learn. She promotes her Reading Breakthrough resources for parents who want guided strategies, teaching videos and activities they can use themselves, along with a free guide called The Dyslexia Roadmap for Families. The message across the episode and the related reading services is similar: if a child is lagging, waiting may be harmless in some cases, but in others it can allow a remediable problem to become harder to address.